Control lever or wrench for gas meter inlet cocks



June 6, 1944. B. HER$KOVITS 2,350,354

CONTROL LEVER OR WRENCH FOR GAS METERINLET COCKS Filed March 23, 1942 I VENTOR. 26 ,BEM/AM/A/ ERS/(O w'Ta Patented June 6, 1944 CONTROL LEVER OR WRENCH FOR GAS METER INLET COCKS Benjamin Herskovits, New York, N. Y.

Application March 23, 1942, Serial No. 435,794

1 Claim. (Cl. 251-152) This invention relates to an attachment for the inlet cock for a gas meter.

More particularly, my invention relates to the provision of a control device for the control cock on the inlet pipe to the gas meter which will permit quick and accurate shut-off.

- My inlvention contemplates facilitating the control of the gas supply at the main inlet pipe line to the meter so that during any emergency,

such as that occasioned by violent jars caused by' detonation of bombs or any other hazard, the main inlet line to the household or other establishment may be quickly placed in the shut-oil position and therefore cut off the supply of gas and minimize fire hazard from this source.

In accordance with present installations, the inlet cock for a gas meter is provided with a wrench spindle having one movable lock receiving flange and one stationary lock receiving flange. To turn this inlet cock to the open or closed position, usually requires that one have available a medium size monkey or Stillson wrench as well as in certain instances to have available some means of reaching this cock where the gas meterv is disposed in difllcultly accessible locations.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a wrench or control lever for a gas meter control cock which may be quickly and simply afflxed in position upon the wrench spindle of the cock and be available quickly and accurately to operate the cock to the open or closed position.

More particularly my invention relates in the combination with a gas meter control cock of a control lever which may be made of inexpensive material and be readily attached to the wrench spindle of the inlet cock of the gas line for its operation during any emergency.

Still more particularly, my invention relates to the provision of a control lever for standard gas inlet cocks to be found adjacent gas meters wherein the control co k which has a movable lock receiving flange and a stationary lock receiving flange is availed of for mounting the control lever to facilitate assembly with this instrumentality and increase the engaging relationship of the control lever with the wrench spindle while utilizing the lock receiving flanges to act as guides in the accurate positioning of the control cock to the open orclosed position.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of a control lever attach- 1 ment in accordance with my invention, mounted upon the inlet cock of a gas line;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3'-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a face view of another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 5 is a detail of the stop determining linkof the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a general assembly of a gas meter with my control lever in position.

Making reference to the drawing, I illustrate my invention in connection with an inlet cock Ill positioned in the gas line I I, normally to be found adjacent the gas meter of households or other establishments. In this cock, there is customarily included a wrench spindle l2, fo'rturning the valve of the cook. The spindle carries a flange l3 formed with an-oriflce M. The casing of the cock carries a flange l5 having an orifice Hi. This assembly is familiar, it being noted that the flanges l3 and I5 may be positioned in alignment to align the orifices l4 and lb, thereby to close or shut-off the gas supply. In this position the oriflces l4 and l 6 may have a lock passed therethrough and for this reason the flanges l3 and I5 are referred to'by me as lock flanges.

In my experience, the turning off or opening of the inlet cock during any emergency may be made a comparatively simple operation; in fact,

to render the lever accessible if the inlet cock is disposed in positions normally requiring a step ladder.

The opposite end of the lever I1 is formed with an orifice 2| arranged to receive the wrench spindle l2. Spaced from the orifice 2|, I provide a second orifice 2; arranged to be aligned with the orifice It on the lock flange 13. A screw 22 may then be passed through the orifice Zlu. and M respectively engaging on the interior face of the lock flange IS a link 23 having a lug 24. The link 23 is sufliciently thin to be received in the space 25 lying between the lock flange l3 and the lock flange IS. The lug 24 is so extended that it lies in the path of the stationary lock flange l5. While I may rely upon the screw 22 engaging the link 23, to hold the control lever I! mounted upon the movable lock flange I 3, I may additionally prevent displacement of the control lever I! from its position upon the wrench spindle I2 by wedging cross rods 26 through the orifice 2'! normally to be found in the wrench spindle.

These cross rods 26 may be conveniently in the form of cut-nails driven in oppsite directions through the orifice 21 to become wedged therein.

With the installation as described a downward movement of the lever I! will serve to shut-oil. the inlet cock. This downwardmovement is continued to the point Where the lug 24 engages the upper face 24a of the stationary lock flange I5. Thus, the lug 24 serves quickly to limit themovement of the control lever without any special care to see that the lock flanges are in alignment, making certain that the valve is in the closed position.

coordinately the end of the lever is provided with a lug 28 extended in the path of the lock flange I- and arranged in the upward position of the control lever to engage the lower face 23a of the lock flange I5.

It will thus appear from the construction just described that I have provided a Wrench for the gas meter control cock which may be easily and facilely installed and that no special experience is necessary in order to bring the control valve into the fully closed or open position since the lugs 24 and 28 are extended so that movement of the lever will align the lock flanges and the valve control, thereby, into an accurate fully open or closed position. Likewise, it will be observed that my operating lever may be made from rather inexpensive metal stampings, not requiring the rigid and weighty construction of medium sized monkey or Stillson wrenches, normally employed for turning or shutting off the inlet cocks of gas meters of this character.

vThe extension of the link 23- to engage the movable lock flange I3 provides an extended bearing surface making the employment of heavy stock material for the control lever unnecessary.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown another embodiment of my invention wherein the control lever Ila is formed with an orifice 2! arranged to receive the wrench spindle I2. In this construction, however, I provide a generally L shaped link 23a which may be received. within the clearance space 25. The link 23a has its branch 30 formed with an orifice 3I and is disposed on the interior face of the flange I3 bringing the orifice 3I in alignment with the orifice I4 of the lock flange I3. In this position a screw 22 is disposed through the orifice 2Ia, formed on g the control lever I'Ia, thereby holding the control lever Na in position on one face of the lock flange I3 and holding the link 2 30 on the opposite face of the lock flange I3. The branch 30 is extended to form adjacent its end a lug 24b. This lug is transversely extended so that it projects in the plane of the stationary lock flange I5.

'I'hebranch 32 of the link 3i] has its end 33 formed with a lug 28b. This lug is laterally extended to intersect the plane passing through the stationary lock flange I5.

Itwill be observed that by this form of construction a simple control lever Fla is provided requiring very little special machining.

.The link 23a provides the lugs 24b and 28b to determine the stopping positions of the inlet cock wrench spindle. Thus, in the positionshown in Figure 4, the operating lever IIa is disposed to position the lug 28b to the point where it engages the lower face 28a of the stationary lock flange I5. Downward movement of the lever in a clockwise direction turns the wrench spindle to the point where the lug 24b engages the upper face 24a with the stationary lock flange I5, thereby guiding the control lever I5 to accurately close the inlet cock,

It will be observed that I have provided a simple and economical gas meter control device which may be quickly and facilely installed and be manipulated accurately by the most inexperienced housewife to thereby minimize hazards in improper operation of this control cock of the gas meter. My device thereby provides an installation which may be quickly made to meet the present emergency where detonation of bombs may make it necessary to turn ofi the gas of the meter.

While my device is designed primarily to meet such emergencies, it will be understood that it forms a convenient appliance where normal op'-- eration may make it necessary quickly and facile ly to turn off the gas supply without having to hunt around for an instrumentality to effect this operation.

While I have described the link I9- and the: operating handle therefor of such nature as to provide means of reaching the control cock in diificultly accessible locations and make the same of rigid material for push and pull-operation, it

will be understood that this member may be: located for operation from floorheight and thereby facilitate its location for control in dim illumination or total darkness, eliminating'the hazard of flames or sparks to disclose the whereabouts of this control member for. cutting off the flow of gas; also while a rigid rod is disclosed in close proximity for push and pull operation, this.r0d

may be extended at greater lengths for remote.

control operation from a point exterior ,of the room where the meter is disposed, and forthis purpose cable or chain control is contemplated by me for operation from any point above, below or laterally thereof, with adequate provision for guiding the cable or chain to the lever arm, as will be readily understood by the skilled worker.

Having thus described my invention and illus-' trated its use, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a gas meter control cock, having a movable lock flange mounted upon a wrench spindle, and

a stationary lock flange mounted upon the casing, the combination therewith of' a link associated with said flanges and an operating lever for the wrench spindle of said cock combining with said movable flange to hold said lever upon the spindle and providing'atleast one lug serving as a stop for a portion of the operating lever in the operation of said spindle by engagement with the stationary flange accurately to position said flanges in the fully open position of said cock upon opening movement of said cockand'serving accurately to align said lock flanges to the 1 fully closed position of said cocki-n the converse operation of said lever. I

BENJAMIN HERSKOVITS. 

